Detroit Lions pick Iowa's Jack Campbell, Big Ten's top defender, at No. 18 in NFL draft
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Detroit Lions took Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell with the 18th pick of Thursday's 2023 NFL draft.
The Lions added more help for a defense that gave up the most yards in the NFL last season after spending their first first-round pick, No. 12 overall, on Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Campbell, a senior, is 6 feet 5 and 249 pounds from Cedar Falls, Iowa.
He collected 128 tackles, 5½ for loss, in 13 starts last season, and was given the Dick Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. He was first-team Associated Press All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
GRADE THE PICK: Grading the Lions' No. 12 overall pick, Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama RB
READ MORE: Lions NFL draft picks history: Their 5 best and 5 worst first-round selections
The Lions should enter this season as one of the favorites in the NFC North. They return most of their starting offensive line and key skill position players and added three new defensive starters in free agency to a team that won eight of its final 10 games last season.
The Lions' next pick is at No. 34 overall, the third pick of the second round.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions pick Jack Campbell at No. 18 in NFL draft 2023
